Sometimes we get so engrossed in the design or the copy of our email messages that we forget our goal: To get our readers to click on the buy now link and purchase.
If your click through rates are not where you want them to be, you probably need to test by experimenting with the major anatomical points of your email:
- The Subject line: long or short? Humorous or serious?
- Your Email Copy
- Design
- Images
The subject line.
The best way to determine the effect of longer or shorter subject lines is to test them. Most list managers make split testing fairly simple to do.
Whether to use a humorous or serious tone depends on your readers; while one population may enjoy a light hearted or even a sarcastic approach, another group may take offense and hit your unsubscribe link.
There are some who insist that unsubscribing is probably good in that your reader would not cancel if he were interested in what you write and that testing in these types of areas can serve to clean your email list. An unsubscription rate of 1% or so is most likely composed of folks who are no longer interested in what you have to say or sell.
But the importance of relevant copy cannot be over emphasized. If you see more and more readers cancelling then you can suspect there is something going on with relevance and it’s not in a good way.
Email Copy
Although we can see lengthy content with some major advertisers, the trend is toward short, brief and compelling content.
One expert likens email marketing to driving by a billboard at 70 miles per hour.: More and more of us do not take the time to read, we want to get the idea of what the offer is instantly so that we can make a purchase decision on the fly.
The call to action must be prominently displayed and stand out from the rest of the message copy.
Design
You’ll lose between 25-35% of your readership if your messages are not designed to be mobile ready. If you aren’t sure what that means, briefly, fonts must be bigger, the hyperlinks separated by space so that thumbs can connect with them easily.
Make the “buy now” buttons larger than the text so that the mobile reader has a harder time clicking in the wrong part of the message.
Larger fonts and buttons take up valuable message real estate underscoring the critical importance of brevity and clarity.
Image
Most readers expect to see images but be careful with size, and download speed. If the image takes too long to download, think about using a Resizer or deleting the image completely. Most readers will not wait to view it if it’s not instant.
A few additional points to consider:
- Segmenting your list is a good way to assure relevance since your readership is most likely comprised of individuals with varying interests.
- Proofing your message for deliverability is a good habit to start.
- Proof your message for brevity and clarity.
- Assure that you keep mobile media in mind with your design.
